This tradition of being surrounded by female family and friends was not new; in the American colonial era, women held “birthing parties” at the home of the mother-to-be. In these parties, women, including a midwife and close female family and friends, would gather with the mother as labor began, and stay with her, sometimes for days, until labor was complete. During these gatherings, the attending women would tell jokes, soothe and encourage the mother, and trade gossip and recipes. The intent was to support the mother in labor, and to strengthen the ties of community.
